


In Need of a Fetching Love

by stellarparallax



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Angst, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Comfort, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Kissing, M/M, Post-Canon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-26
Updated: 2018-06-26
Packaged: 2019-05-28 21:28:38
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,474
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15058172
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/stellarparallax/pseuds/stellarparallax
Summary: What kind of name was Lykos, anyway? Lance realised that she wasn’t a dog, but surely a dog name would fit? Something like Lucy or Bailey would have been fine. Of course, Keith had to keith-ise it.--Keith's wolf had taken it upon herself to act as the team's emotional support animal. She had a comforting presence and would stay around until whoever was feeling sad cheered up. Lance never needed her help.She, however, needed his.





	In Need of a Fetching Love

**Author's Note:**

  * For [ifellfromtheskies](https://archiveofourown.org/users/ifellfromtheskies/gifts).



> For my lovely friend Fell <3 Check out his amazing art @ifellfromtheskies on tumblr

They were finally returning to Earth. It was going to take a while seeing that they no longer had the Castle of Lions to wormhole them to every nook and cranny of the universe that they needed to get to, but they were going home all the same. Besides, it wasn’t like they had elsewhere to be. With their locators homing in on the solar system, they would get there even if it took years, even if it took half a lifetime.

Lance couldn’t wait to go home. He wondered how big his sister’s children had gotten while he’d been gone. He wondered if his mother’s lips would feel the same against his forehead. Perhaps he’d changed too.

He glanced across the campfire they’d set up. According to Keith, this had been where he and Shiro had crash-landed onto when the castle’s wormhole was on the fritz. It was nice enough. It was by no means luxurious, of course, but it was comfortable enough for Shiro to take a nap snuggled against Lykos.

What kind of name was Lykos, anyway? Lance realised that she wasn’t a dog, but surely a dog name would fit? Something like Lucy or Bailey would have been fine. Of course, Keith had to keith-ise it.

Regardless, he loved her. Lykos, Lance concluded, must have actual magic powers. Any time that anyone at all felt the slightest bit low, she would appear from wherever she was previously and stay with them until they felt better. She even acted differently around each person, suiting their needs. It certainly felt strange admiring a space wolf, but she had qualities that Lance aspired to have.

The oddest thing, however, was that she acted completely differently around Lance. Heck, the fact that she came to Lance at all was strange already. Lance wasn’t immune to feeling low, but he had a way of getting it out so he felt better before she could even get to him. At any rate, he hadn’t had much to get really upset about since her arrival.

Still, she came to him often and usually tried to push him around. When that didn’t work, she’d whine and whimper, then leave him.

Weird, he thought, just like her owner.

“Lance,” Hunk sniggered, “I’d tell you to take a picture but I’m not sure there’s room left in your tablet for another one.”

Lance prayed that the red light from the fire was enough to disguise the fervent blush that bloomed in his cheeks. Only when Hunk called him out did he realise that he had been staring wordlessly at Shiro for the past few minutes. Could anyone blame him, though? Shiro had always been attractive, but even more so now with his striking white hair. It looked like starlight. Just looking at him was enough to make Lance feel all warm inside.

Perhaps some things about Lance never change.

  


"Arf.”

Lance looked up from his screen and raised an eyebrow at her. “May I help you?”

“Arf.”

“Not one of the languages I speak, dear. Oh, come here.”

He stretched out his arms invitingly and she ran to him. She nuzzled against his neck and rubbed herself against him. He ran his fingers through her soft fur, giggling as the fur on her face tickled his neck.

“Who’s a good girl? You are! That’s right! Yes, you are!”

Then gradually, he felt her positive energy drop.

“What’s wrong, Lykos? Did you use up all your energy cheering people up?”

“Arf…”

“You’re a sweet girl, you know? Some people around here could learn a thing or two from you.”

Suddenly, she shook him off and retreated.

“Lykos?”

She tilted her head to the side.

“Is there something you want to show me?” He got up and followed after her.

They didn’t go far. Just down the hallway to a bedroom.

“Lykos… this is Shiro’s room.”

She nodded.

“Wait, is Shiro… not okay?”

She nodded again.

He glanced at the closed door, then back at her. He knocked.

“Lykos, it’s okay. I’m fine. Really.” Shiro’s voice was muffled by the walls and door, but Lance could distinctly hear the voice crack he tried to hide.

“Shiro? It’s Lance.”

“Oh, uh, what’s up?”

“Can you open up, please?”

“Yeah… give me a second.”

The door slid open and the gloom that it had once contained hit Lance hard. Even with the lights dimmed, Lance could tell that Shiro had been crying. He didn’t look fine at all. Liar.

“Hey… what’s wrong?”

Shiro laughed bitterly, tears brimming in his eyes. “I don’t want to do this here. Please, come in.”

Shiro reached out and grabbed Lance’s wrist. With Shiro pulling and Lykos pushing, Lance nearly fell over. The only thing that stopped him was Shiro catching him as he fell face forward into his chest.

“Hah… sorry. Didn’t mean for that to happen.”

“That’s fine,” Lance mumbled as he shuffled backwards awkwardly. “So, uh, what’s got you down, uh, man?”

Shiro sighed. He averted his gaze and wiped away his tears.

Lance let his fingertips graze Shiro’s hand gently, before taking it. It was still damp. He held it in both of his hands, massaging it just like his mother had taught him. It loosens up tense nerves, she said.

“I’m… I’m really happy for Keith,” Shiro paused before continuing, “I chose him as my successor. I’m proud of him. But seeing him as the Black Paladin just reminds me of what I’m not. I’m not even _a_ paladin anymore. I’m just… What is the point of me?”

“Don’t say that, Shiro…”

“It’s the truth. I used to be a pilot, then my arm got taken away. I used to be a paladin and I _died_ , Lance. The… the universe has made it abundantly clear that I’m disposable.”

Lance moved his hands up to Shiro’s face.

“You’re still here, aren’t you? You looked death in the face and told it to fuck off. You’re not disposable, Shiro, you’re adamantine. You’re like Wolverine.”

“That’s not true.”

“Oh yeah? How are you different? You’re not allowed to name anything physical.”

“He’s… Well, he’s… Canadian.”

Lance blinked back his surprise. “I mean, you’re not wrong.”

Shiro snorted. Lance could see the tension in Shiro’s face and neck dissolve as he threw his head back laughing. He realised that he hadn’t seen Shiro like that in a long while, maybe not even in the last few years. Since he left for his mission to Kerberos, Lance had never seen him truly at ease. Even during their team building games, there was always a part of him that was wound up tight.

“You’re amazing.”

“What?” Lance snapped out of his daze.

“I feel so much better now. Thank you.”

“Oh, uh, yeah it was nothing. You really should thank…” Lance glanced at Lykos. “You brought me here to cheer him up! That’s why you were so weird around me!”

She nodded.

“You really are something,” Lance’s voice softened.

“So are you. I knew that I was right to call out to you.”

“What?”

“Remember when we tried to connect our quintessence to the lions? On the astral plane?”

“I remember. I just figured it was because I was the one closest to you. Uh, you know, proximity wise.”

“I chose you. I knew you would listen. And hey, I’m still right.”

“How?”

“How… did I know? There wasn’t anything specific, I guess. Having faith in someone just comes in the territory of being in love with them.”

“Oh, I see-- wait, WHAT?”

Shiro slapped his hand over his mouth.

They stared at each other in wide-eyed silence, neither daring to say another word. Lance inched closer, suddenly hyper-aware of his own breathing. Not once did he take his eyes off Shiro.

“Don’t… don’t feel obligated to reciprocate or anything. It doesn’t have to be--”

That was all it took.

“Shut up,” Lance cut him off.

They inched towards each other gradually, until there wasn’t any distance left to close.

Lance had only ever kissed a person he wasn’t related to once before. When he was thirteen, he went to a birthday party where they played Spin the Bottle. It was cold and awkward and he only did it because he felt like he had to. This time, it was different. He still felt like he _had to_ kiss Shiro, but it was a need coming from his heart, not his insecurity. He hooked his hands around Shiro’s neck and pulled him in. He felt hungry, raw, like the closest he could possibly get to Shiro still wouldn’t be close enough.

Suddenly, Shiro broke away.

“I’m sorry, I can’t do this.”

“What, why?” Lance’s breath hitched.

“It’s just weird kissing someone with an animal watching me.”

Lance exhaled.

“You dork,” he laughed as he lightly punched Shiro in the chest.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading till the end! I would really appreciate it if you left kudos and comments.
> 
> Come scream at me @stellar-parallax on tumblr!


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